GAME REPORT

UMMC Cruise Past Winless VICI Aistes

No less than six Ekaterinburg players scored in double digits, while VICI were 20-for-65 from the floor

The basketball gods didn't do VICI Aistes any favors when they placed the Lithuanian club in Group A of the EuroLeague Women and then gave them arguably the toughest stretch of games of all teams to begin the campaign.

On Wednesday, for the fourth consecutive week, the Kaunas club had to take on a giant in the competition and lost, this time at UMMC Ekaterinburg.

Lithuanian coach Algirdas Paulauskas, the boss of UMMC, led his team to an 85-49 thrashing of VICI Aistes in Russia.

Ekaterinburg took control by reeling off 10 unanswered points in the first quarter for a 14-4 lead and never looked back.

Late in the first half, the UMMC advantage was 50-27.

Candace Parker led UMMC with 15 points while Olga Arteshina, Anete Jekabsone and Sandrine Gruda each had 13.

Svetlana Abrosimova poured in 11 and Cappie Pondexter 10.

Parker had a game-high five steals and Pondexter came up with four.

UMMC outrebounded VICI Aistes, 38-22, in improving to 3-1 on the season..

VICI Aistes, who had lost to Galatasaray, Ros Casares and ZVVZ USK Prague in their first three games, got 12 points from Belarus international Tatsiana Likhtarovich.

COACH QUOTES

Quotes UMMC Ekaterinburg vs. VICI Aistes

UMMC Forward Olga Arteshina: «I am glad that we won but what I am really happy about is that finally we can have a day off. After the last game we were thoroughly getting ready for this meeting. We have studied carefully all the game features and combinations of the Lithuanian team and during the game could easily recognize them even without knowing their names. I think we have followed all the coaching instructions and could keep increasing the score difference even in the beginning of the third quarter and finished strong».

UMMC Head Coach Algirdas Paulauskas: «I am quite satisfied with the game, we could keep it going strong. The team didn't relax at the beginning of the third quarter and did its best all the way to the end. Unfortunately our injuries keep us from being even better. Yesterday Pondexter had a hard time finishing the practice, so we were afraid that she has injured her muscles, but today she did fine. But nevertheless today we could play hard all the way to the end».

VICI Aistes Guard Tatsiana Likhtarovich:«This evening we played a team game. One of our goals of course was to show good basketball and to win. Every game we try to improve our team spirit and play as one united team. In spite of the evening result as soon as we catch the team spirit we will show a good game».

VICI Aistes Head Coach Mantas Sernius: «I would like to congratulate my colleague Algirdas Paulauskas with a good game and well-earned victory. He has a team of professionals who do their best to win. So it was a hard task for us to win. I know UMMC well so I tried to learn the best features of their game. But unfortunately we couldn't stop their attacks and set our dominance under the boards. We kept on fighting till the end and I am proud of my team. Hope I will learn something new and useful from the evening game».